Kirkmalcolm
Kilmacolm is a parish in the lower ward of Renfrewshire. It is bounded by the Firth of Clyde, and by the parishes of Erskine, Houston, Kilbarchan, Lochwinnoch, Largs, Inverkip, Greenock, and Port Glasgow. (1867: The Imperial Gazetteer of Scotland, by John Marius Wilson).
Kilmacolm
Broadfield, Carruth, Duchall
PRE-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
POST-REFORMATION GOVERNANCE:
The church of Kilmacolm was dedicated to St Columba. It belonged to the Abbey of Paisley. There was a chapel in the parish of Finlayston. A yearly fair was held at Kilmacolm in honour of St Marnoch. The parish church was rebuilt in 1833.
Includes ministers, licentiates, assistants, readers, and clerks.
(1928: Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, by Hew Scott, D. D.)
Parish registers turned over to the Registrar-General, as a result of the Registration of Births, Deaths, and Marriages (Scotland) Act of 1854. The letters B. D. and M. indicate Births (or Baptisms), Deaths (or Burials), and Marriages (or Proclamations of Banns) respectively. Numbers indicate separate volumes or books. Note: These records are by no means complete or without damage; consult the Detailed List of the Old Parochial Registers of Scotland (1872) to learn more about the condition of the records.
| OPR and RD Numbers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date Range | Name | Number | Type |
| 1695-1854 | Kilmacolm | 569 | OPR |
| 1855-1953 | Kilmacolm | 569 | RD |
| 2009 | Inverclyde Council, Inverclyde | 640 | RD |
| 2026 | Inverclyde Council; Kilmacolm and Quarrier's Village Community Council | ||
(2009: Parishes and Registration Districts of Scotland - Old and New, National Records of Scotland)
Local community councils (2026) are provided as a potential source of additional information for settlements within the original boundaries of the parish. (Source)
Statistics from informal and official censuses
Blair, Campbell, Crawford, Holmes, Kerr, Laird, Lang, Scott, Smith, Thomson
Note: Names appearing in research materials, other than censuses. Simple names (First name, surname only) have been omitted unless they appear associated with large properties. All women's names, and men's names with occupations, military ranks, or peerage titles are included.
By the Reverend Mr John Brown.
"By a late enumeration there were 951 persons, of whom were 443 males; 508 females. There is a small village at the church containing about 45 houses and 126 persons. There are 5 wrights, a variety of professing masons, 2 clockmakers, and 8 weavers, 35 Seceders, and 18 of the sect called Macmillanites. Suicide is very rare, only one instance is in remembrance, which happened last year by a person who for some times before had been troubled in mind.
The people are as economical as their neighbours, and frugal from their circumstances. Dress, customs and manners, are considerably improved within these 50 years; but the people by no means border on luxury."
(This section contains excerpts, at times restructured or paraphrased, from an article appearing in Statistical Account of Scotland, Sir John Sinclair, 1791-1799)
Primary Sources:
Statistical Account of Scotland (1791-1799), Volume 4, p. 274
New Statistical Account of Scotland (1834-1845), Volume 7, Section I, p. 56
See Parish Page Sources for all source information and links.
